
Issue No 109		31 August 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

News

Dance for Independence

By Veronica Apap

If you want to support the West Saharawi's struggle for independence, the best thing to do is get your dancing shoes and get down to the Harbourside Brasserie.

The Western Sahara Alliance and the Australia Western Sahara Association (AWSA), are holding a musical fundraiser for the liberation of Western Sahara. There will be Flamenco and Afro- Caribbean acts as well as a DJ.

"We're raising money to bring a woman out from the refugee camps on a speaking tour," says Stephanie Brennan who is organising the event.

Up to 180 000 people have been living in refugee camps for 25 years since Morocco invaded Western Sahara. Polisario is the liberation movement fighting for their independence.

She says that the problems in West Sahara are similar to those experienced by East Timor. "Australians should get involved because it's the East Timor of Africa. They face imminent danger from Morocco. People have been tortured, raped, murdered and detained by the Moroccans," she says.

The fact that people so far away from the problem care is very significant to the West Saharawi's. "It moves them to tears to know that they haven't been forgotten by the western world," says Brennan.

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Issue 109 contents

Interview: Union Power
Electrical Trades Union state secretary Bernie Riordan surveys the union movement's troubled relationship with Labor.

International: Spreading the Word
Veronica Apap profiles Kamal Fadel and the battle he is fighting for the independence of his homeland of West Sahara.

E-Change: Training for a Wired Workforce
Education is the entry point into the new economy; but the system still reflects an industrial age view of the world.

Unions: AWU Defends Millennium Train Workers
Mark Hearn looks at how a group of Newcastle workers are setting a new standard in the railways.

Politics: Chatting with Enemies of the State
Brazils MST is the largest and most radical social movement in the Americas. The CFMEU�s Phil Davey drops in for a chat.

History: Struggle and Inspiration
Rowan Cahill argues that it is only through understanding history that we can make sense of the present plight of workers.

Technology: A World Without Microsoft
Heather Sharp argues that all technologies involve political choices and moral values. Computer software is no exception, and it is Bill Gates' choices that dominate.

Review: Let There Be Rock
Kid Rock and Beer Bong, Australia�s Oldest Rock Fans review the week�s music and political events from the safety of the bar stool.

Satire: Tampa refugees ask to go home: "It's less inhumane than Australia"
The 460 asylum seekers on board the Tampa freight vessel have demanded to be taken back to their oppressive homelands, which they now realise aren�t nearly as hostile as Australia.

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» Common Law Report Plea � Make It Public

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» Tax Office's GST Scam - 10 Per Cent Off!

» Della Moves on Pay Slip Concerns

» Authorities Scotch Bra-Burning

» Manusafe Decision Faces Appeal

» Orange Finally Saved from Closure

» Award Win For Telco Workers

» Abbott Clears Way for Lower Wages

» SDA Defeats 'Obscene' Westfield Parking Fees

» Labor Calls On Abbott To Abide By Convention

» Nurses Highlight Staff Shortages

» Keystone Cops At Wonderland Protest

» Call for Change in Award Increases

» Green Tin Box Values Gone At Commonwealth

» Dance for Independence

» Get Ready to Wobble

» Activist Notebook

» STOP PRESS: ITF says PM Tampa action illegal